Unleashed, a 13-part Bible study based on the book of the same name by Sonja Corbitt, began airing June 1, 2015, on CatholicTV.
Corbitt’s passionate faith and natural storytelling ability combine to create a refreshing message of how God, in his continual pursuit of us, speaks to us through the positive and painful circumstances of life, relationships, and his Word.
In Unleashed, Corbitt testifies that prayerful and regular study of the scriptures is the key to better hear the voice of God, to see the Holy Spirit at work even in times of suffering, and to receive all the graces God wants to give. Endorsed by her bishop as a “credit to her faith,” Corbitt inspires Catholics everywhere to engage with the scriptures with renewed vigor and energy. She has produced three Catholic Bible studies.
Corbitt is a dynamic Catholic author, speaker, and broadcaster who has produced several high-impact, uplifting multimedia Bible studies, including Soul of the World, Fearless, and Ignite.
A Carolina native who was raised as a Southern Baptist, Corbitt attended Mitchell College and the Southern Baptist Seminary Extension and then converted to Catholicism.
She broadcasts a daily program on Real Life Radio called Pursuing the Summit. Corbitt is in formation as a Third Order Carmelite, a columnist at Catholic Online, and a contributor to CatholicMom.com.
A new episode will run each week on CatholicTV at midnight Sundays; 8:30 a.m. Monday; 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and 9:30 p.m. Saturdays.
The cause for sainthood of Servant of God Patrick Peyton moved another step forward in April with the presentation of a Positi—a position document on his life and holiness—to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome.
The Positio is the result of a four-year study that culminated in a 6,000-page report of Fr. Peyton's life, actions, and miracles, and was completed by the tribunals in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and 34 other dioceses around the world. If the Congregation determines Fr. Peyton led a life of heroic virtue, the cause will go to Pope Francis, who can confer the title “Venerable” upon Fr. Peyton.
Rev. Wilfred Raymond, C.S.C., president of Holy Cross Family Ministries; Rev. David S. Marcham, vice postulator of Peyton’s cause; Andrea Ambrosi, the postulator of Peyton’s; and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila presented the Positio on April 21, 2015.
“We are very pleased to see progress in Father Peyton's Cause. Many people regularly tell me we need a 'Saint for Families' and that Father Peyton is the appropriate candidate,” Raymond said.
Fr. Peyton, a Holy Cross priest and Catholic media pioneer, spent his 51 years of priesthood serving the spiritual needs of families. Known as “The Rosary Priest,” Fr. Peyton emphasized the daily communal prayer of the Rosary between families. He believed “The family that prays together stays together.”
During his priesthood, Father Peyton spread his message globally, founding Family Rosary in Albany, N.Y., in 1942, and conducting Rosary crusades in 40 countries that drew over 28 million people. Fr. Peyton also founded Family Theater Productions in 1947 in Hollywood, where he helped to produce 600 radio and TV programs that featured hundreds of celebrities and celebrated more than 10,000 broadcasts. Family Rosary and Family Theater Productions are members of Holy Cross Family Ministries, which serves families in 17 countries. The Father Peyton Family Institutes, based in Lima, Peru, and in Bangalore, India, provide education and resources to enrich the spirituality of families. The ministries are all under the sponsorship of the Congregation of Holy Cross, at whose request Father Peyton’s Cause for Canonization was opened in June of 2001.
For more information and to see a video presentation, check out the Holy Cross Family Ministries website.
Meanwhile, CatholicTV will air a special on Father Peyton called A World at Prayer: The Vision of Patrick Peyton- On Assignment: St. John Cantius at 10:30 p.m. June 1 and replaying at 5 p.m. June 4 and 3:30 a.m. June 6.
The Grace of Yes by bestselling author Lisa M. Hendey won third place in the annual Excellence in Publishing Awards by the Association of Catholic Publishers.
Hendey is founder of CatholicMom.com and author of A Handbook for Catholic Moms and A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms. She is also a broadcaster and Catholic blogger.
In The Grace of Yes, Hendey takes readers on her personal faith journey, highlighting eight virtues that have helped her—and can help others—say yes to God.
Find out more about other ACP winners on the organization's website. The awards will be given out during the annual Religious Booksellers Trade Exhibit May 26-28, 2015, in St. Charles, Ill.
Lisa Duffy knows what it's like to find hope after divorce—from her own experience, as well as more than 20 years of ministering to those wounded by divorce.
Duffy is a columnist for CatholicMatch.com and creator of the "Journey of Hope" divorce recovery program. Her first book, The Catholic Guide to Dating After Divorce, is the first written for the 11 divorced Catholics in the United States.
Ave Maria Press talked with her recently about the book.
Question: Lisa, early on in the book, you address the stigma of being divorced and how that impacts the decision to attend Mass and receive the sacraments. Can you talk about your own experience and what you’ve heard from others?
Lisa Duffy: In the weeks and months after my husband left, it took all my strength and resolve to attend Sunday Mass. I was very angry and disillusioned, which made it difficult to focus on the Mass, but I also felt a deep sense of shame, like I didn’t belong there with all the “good” Catholics. Seeing happy families and couples there also brought immense sadness. I would usually come late and leave early so I could avoid anyone who might want to chat.
My experience seems to be similar to many divorced Catholics, however a large percentage automatically suspect they are not welcome at Mass or parish functions because of their divorce. Some of them just stay away because they fear the judgment of others. Then there are those who show up for Mass or try to continue participating in the ministry they were involved in and are told by those who unfortunately have their facts wrong that they are no longer able to participate.
Q: It seems like there are some misconceptions regarding Church teaching about divorce and participation in the sacraments. What’s does the Church say? Do you think these misconceptions actually make it more difficult for divorced Catholics to heal?
Lisa: Yes, there are many misconceptions out there regarding divorce and participation in the sacraments and I welcome the opportunity to provide some clarity.
First, a civil divorce decree in-and-of-itself does not prohibit a Catholic from receiving the sacraments or participating in parish life as stated by the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
“It can happen that one of the spouses is the innocent victim of a divorce decreed by civil law; this spouse therefore has not contravened the moral law. There is a considerable difference between a spouse who has sincerely tried to be faithful to the sacrament of marriage and is unjustly abandoned, and one who through his own grave fault destroys a canonically valid marriage” (2386).
This also applies to the children of divorced couples, who often are denied receiving Baptism or their First Communion by lay parish teachers who are misinformed.
Second, divorced Catholics who have remarried without first receiving a decree of nullity are not allowed to receive Communion. This is a non-negotiable circumstance, contrary to the media’s coverage of the recent Synod held last October and it is not some human rights issue where the Church is treating divorced and civilly remarried Catholics as second-class citizens. This is the Church protecting her members from spiritual disaster. The Catechism plainly states:
“Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to Communion” (1385).
The reason why a divorced and civilly remarried Catholic is considered to be in grave sin is simple: A decree of nullity (annulment) declares that the marriage in question—even though a real relationship that may have produced children existed—was never a valid marriage. It was never a spiritual, unbreakable covenant between the spouses and God. Therefore, the spouses are not bound to each other until death as a couple with a valid marriage would be. If they are not bound to each other, they are free to get married.
If a divorced Catholic does not go through the annulment process to find out whether or not he has a valid marriage, the Church considers that person validly married. Therefore, a second marriage would constitute adultery.
I definitely do believe these misconceptions prolong and aggravate the healing process. It’s so important for clergy and lay leaders in positions to give direction and advice to divorced Catholics to have an accurate and uniform understanding of what the Church teaches.
Q: Of the five “attraction factors” you write about in the book, is there any one that is most important or upon which the others depend?
Lisa: Yes, the first attraction factor, being “available” is really the one the rest hinge upon because if you aren’t technically able to date because you do not have a decree of nullity and your heart is not available to give away because it is locked in the past by anger and resentment, it makes taking those other steps almost a moot point. A person could work on the other attraction factors, but she would find herself constantly having to go back to this first one to master it if she wanted to make any real progress on any of the others.
Q: Late in the book you talk about creating a “life program.” What is it and how can it help someone healing from divorce and wanting to love again?
Lisa: A Life Program is an exceptional tool that anyone can use, but it is especially good for divorced Catholics because it helps to motivate them to move forward instead of remaining stuck in sadness and emotional ruts. It’s like drawing yourself a road map to help you get from where you are today to being the happy person you want to become. The three most important steps are to write a detailed description of what you want your life to look like when you are completely happy; second, to identify the five biggest obstacles that are preventing you from being that person; and third, to identify five ways you can overcome those obstacles and move yourself forward toward your goal. It’s very effective and is something good for anyone who wants to excel in life, especially spiritually.
Early in the existence of the community of Holy Cross, Blessed Basil Moreau told his religious that “the work of Holy Cross is not the work of human beings but the work of God.” The anniversary we celebrate today can be counted among those works: the 150th anniversary of Ave Maria Press. On this day, May 1st, in the year 1865, the first edition of the family magazine, The Ave Maria, a weekly periodical devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, was published. That was before May 1st was designated by the Church as the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker. But it seems appropriate that today we celebrate the Mass of Saint Joseph the Worker as we celebrate the holy work of Ave Maria Press, 150 years of work for the Church, the work of evangelization and catechesis, the work of promoting devotion to the Blessed Mother, the work of providing good Catholic reading, a work that continues today. As we celebrate this publishing work that is under the title of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it seems appropriate that we do so on this feast of her spouse, Saint Joseph, the patron of workers. We ask Jesus, the one known as the carpenter’s son, as we heard in today’s Gospel, to continue to bless the work of Ave Maria Press.
Saint Paul wrote to the Colossians: “Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” These words are good for all of us to ponder as we consider our daily work. Certainly, these words express the attitude Fr. Edward Sorin had in founding Ave Maria as well as Notre Dame. With the spirit of parrhesia (boldness) typical of him, Fr. Sorin began the venture of Ave Maria despite many naysayers who thought the project would fail. But Fr. Sorin was determined to honor the Blessed Virgin through this periodical. He wanted to encourage Marian devotion. He was resolute in moving forward because he felt that there was a great need to provide this publication for the Catholic faithful, mostly immigrant and poor, living in a dominant Protestant culture. He wanted them to have the spiritual sustenance that the Blessed Mother provides. A few months before the first publication, Fr. Soring wrote to Neal Gillespie the following: “I may be deceived, disappointed, laughed to scorn, but with all that I will still retain my conviction that the Ave Maria will be the source of most abundant blessings, one of the best things ever done in the Congregation, and ultimately a glorious work for our Blessed Mother.”
I don’t think the rather quick and early success of the Ave Maria endeavor would have happened without the support and work of Mother Angela Gillespie at Saint Mary’s. This strong, well educated, cultured, and faith-filled woman, having just completed her great service of the wounded and dying in the Civil War, did so much to make Ave Maria a success. Mother Angela was the actual director of the new magazine in those early years. She solicited the essays and articles and discerned what should be published in each issue. Mother Angela also oversaw the sisters who did the typesetting and layout of the magazine. She worked hard to assist, Fr. Sorin, the editor, in making Ave Maria the most popular and most read Catholic periodical in the country. Fr. Sorin once said that “Mother Angela is a person whom heaven blesses in everything she touches.” And she certainly touched the Ave Maria enterprise. I recently learned that my predecessor, the first bishop of Fort Wayne, John Henry Luers, sent an article or essay to be inserted into the Ave Maria. In doing so, he said to Fr. Sorin, “if my English is not correct, let Mother Angela rectify it.”
Though I am focusing on the early years of Ave Maria, we should also remember today all those who continued the work of Fr. Sorin and Mother Angela through the past century and a half. I think, for example, of Mother Angela’s younger brother, Fr. Neal Gillespie, who succeeded her as the behind-the-scenes editor of Ave Maria. And we remember all those who have written for and worked on the Ave Maria publication until it ended in 1970. We also remember those who have worked, and continue to work, with Ave Maria Press as its published expanded since then beyond the weekly magazine. The form of the mission has changed, but not its substance. It continues as a Catholic enterprise, a ministry of the Congregation of Holy Cross. It continues in the mission of Holy Cross to helping people know, love, and serve God and to spreading the Gospel of Jesus. It continues to spread Fr. Sorin’s deep devotion to the Mother of God. It continues to respond to the spiritual and intellectual needs of American Catholics.
On this memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker, when the Church reflects on the value and meaning of human work, it is good for us to remember that work honors the gifts of God our Creator and the talents we receive from Him. All of you who work for Ave Maria Press and support its work are collaborators with Jesus in His redemptive work. As disciples of Jesus, we are all called to holiness by doing the work He calls us to accomplish, by doing our work with dedication and love. The Church teaches that “work can be a means of sanctification and a way of animating earthly realities with the Spirit of Christ” (CCC 2427). This happens by being industrious, using our talents for the glory of God and the good of others. On this anniversary and as we look to the future, we ask the Lord’s blessing on the work of Ave Maria Press. We move forward with the counsel of Saint Paul in our minds and hearts: “Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” And we move forward, we ask the intercession of Saint Joseph the Worker and his most-holy spouse, our Blessed Mother. With the angel Gabriel, we say “Hail Mary, Ave Maria.” Like Fr. Sorin, we entrust our work to Jesus through Mary; we entrust Ave Maria Press to Our Lady. May the mother of the carpenter’s son who is the Son of God pray for us!
Most Rev. Kevin C. Rhoades
Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend
Moreau Seminary Chapel
May 1, 2015
Sonja Corbitt has been captivating women across the country with a message that prayerful and regular study of the scriptures is the key to hear the voice of God, to see the Holy Spirit at work even in times of suffering, and to receive all the graces God wants to give.
In her new book Unleashed, Corbitt--a Southern Baptist who converted to Catholicism--shares her passion for the scriptures by weaving the Word of God with her own experiences to show readers how the Holy Spirit flows through their lives in relationships, prayer, and even in times of suffering.
We caught up with Corbitt just before the launch of Unleashed to find out more about her.
Ave Maria Press: What led you to convert from being an evangelical Baptist to Catholicism?
Sonja Corbitt: My church experienced two contentious, painful, back-to-back splits. Because God had been dealing with a deep father wound in me that provoked my own pattern of anger and rebellion against authority, I knew that disunity in the Church, denominationalism, and rebellion against authority are flatly condemned in the scriptures. Through a sort of circumstantial perfect storm, the Holy Spirit showed me the parallel patterns. So I began investigating early Church teachings through the writings of the ante-Nicene Christians. That led to research on Catholicism from an historical and biblical, rather than denominational, point of view. The last piece of the puzzle was connecting Catholic worship and teachings with all I knew of the Old Testament tabernacle and the temples in Ezekiel and Revelation that predict and prescribe proper worship in the New Testament Church. Since that type of worship is found, fully, only in the Catholic Church, the rest is history, as they say.
Ave Maria Press: What do you tell people who find it hard to accept that God is with them during difficult times?
Sonja Corbitt: Two things: First, I have found it deeply comforting and helpful to enter prayerfully into the Book of Job. Second, part of our human difficulty is we mostly allow emotion to be the engine of the train and drag us off track, rather than the will. Emotion is sometimes unreliable. Can’t you sit through a movie and experience your emotions being manipulated by what is not real? When the will is the engine, we cling to what God says in His word, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Our lives remain on track in faith. Emotion is the caboose. Just because we suffer and don’t feel Him doesn’t mean He’s not there. We might say He’s like Scotch tape; you may not see Him, but He’s there. When we suffer, we should cling to His word, cry out to Him, and wait and search until He answers in His word.
Ave Maria Press: How can people better come to know the Holy Spirit?
Sonja Corbitt: Obedience.
Ave Maria Press: Which Biblical character do you most connect with and why?
Sonja Corbitt: Abraham: God promised Him an “vehemently multiplying” reward, made him wait 25 years for it, allowed Abraham to monumentally screw up in pursuing it for himself, involved his spouse in its fulfillment, and then asked him to sacrifice it to Him. What Abraham may have suspected was a renege turned out to be the evidence that Abraham’s heart had become so one with God’s that the spiritual fulfillment of God’s promise would be exponentially greater than the literal one.
Ave Maria Press: Do you have a favorite prayer?
Sonja Corbitt: I love You.
Ave Maria Press: If someone wants to really dig into the Bible for the first time, how would you recommend they start so that they don’t end up feeling overwhelmed?
Sonja Corbitt: Begin with a Catholic Bible that includes study notes and one or two other Catholic translations. Follow your interests, reading the study notes and comparing verses in different translations as you go and when you have questions. Then proceed to a Bible study written especially for beginners, like my DVD-driven Ignite: The Word. Your Faith. Your Life. series with Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers.
Ave Maria Press: What’s the number one thing we can do every day for our spiritual health?
Sonja Corbitt: Spend 15 minutes, first thing in the morning if possible, with God in the Bible. Then increase the time in five minute increments to one hour.
Three books recently published by Ave Maria Press are finalists for the Excellence in Publishing Awards by the Association of Catholic Publishers.
Lisa M. Hendey’s The Grace of Yes is a finalist in the inspirational category.
In her newest book, Hendey, popular Catholic blogger and founder of CatholicMom.com, explores eight spiritual virtues she believes are foundational to Christian life. Through her own spiritual journey, she helps readers learn about belief, generativity, creativity, integrity, humility, vulnerability, saying no, and starting over, and shows how these virtues lead to generous living and the ability to joyously say yes to god.
Basil Moreau: Essential Writings, edited by Revs. Andrew Gawrych, C.S.C., and Kevin Grove, C.S.C., is a finalist in the theology category.
The book is an anthology of the important published and previously unpublished writings of the founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Blessed Basil Moreau. It includes selections from Fr. Moreau’s sermons, pastoral letters, educational treatises, and spiritual reflections, which reveal a figure who was no stranger to difficulty and conflict, but who also was deeply committed to a hope that can only emerge from Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection.
When Saint Francis Saved the Church by Jon M. Sweeney is a finalist in the general interest category.
Sweeney offers a surprising look at the world’s most popular saint, showing how this beloved, but often-mythologized character created a spiritual vision for the ages that may well have rescued the Christian faith. The book also connects Saint Francis and his teachings with that of Pope Francis today.
“It is striking how many of the finalists—across categories—focus on holy people including saints like Pope John Paul II, John XXIII, and Francis and others like Basil Moreau who are models for discipleship,” noted Therese Brown, ACP’s executive director. “Pope Francis’ concerns for mercy and justice have energized a variety of authors and publishers based on what we see in this list.”
First-, second-, and third-place awards in each of nine categories, recognizing the best in Catholic writing, will be given at the 2015 Religious Booksellers Trade Exhibit in St. Charles, Ill. A "book of the year" also will be awarded.
For more information and a complete list of finalists, check out the ACP website.
ROME—Rev. Wilfred Raymond, C.S.C., president of Holy Cross Family Ministries, is in Rome to further the Cause for Canonization of Servant of God Patrick Peyton.
Fr. Peyton, a Catholic media pioneer internationally known as The Rosary Priest, was a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross for 51 years before his death in 1992. An Irish immigrant to the United States, Fr. Peyton founded Family Rosary and Family Theater Productions.
Fr. Raymond, Rev. David Marcham, and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila (Phillippines) presented the the “Positio” for Fr. Peyton’s cause to Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation of the Causes of Saints. The Positio is a 1,300-page document on the study of Fr. Peyton’s life and ministry—the culmination of four years of work and a 6,000-page report by 35 dioceses around the world.
If the Congregation of the Cause of Saints determines Fr. Peyton led a life of heroic virtue and holiness, the cause goes to Pope Francis, who may confer the title “Venerable” upon Fr. Peyton.
Find out more about Fr. Peyton and his cause for sainthood on the Holy Cross Family Ministries website.
Like Holy Cross Family Ministries, Ave Maria Press is an apostolate of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers.
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